portraitphotography

It's no secret that most photography equipment is expensive and typically highly specialized. But that doesn't always need to be the case. In the above video from Adorama, photographer Gavin Hoey walks viewers through how to create studio portraits using a simple sheet of cardboard and some studio lights.

The image is iconic. A mother, surrounded by her children brings a hand to her face. A look of worry clouds her visage. This transcendent image, along with other works by its photographer, Dorothea Lange, are on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

The original contact sheet cutout of an iconic Notorious B.I.G. portrait is going up for auction to commemorate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.

A photographer inspired by Annie Leibowitz captured powerful portraits of drag queens in and out of costume to show the "human side" of their characters.

A photographer has created a unique portrait series by photographing men she met on the dating app Tinder.

A photographer has headed out each day for the past seven years to capture a stranger's portrait in his diverse local community.

Photographers who shoot portraits are likely familiar with Rembrandt-style lighting as well as other styles such as loop, butterfly, and so on. This is especially true if you have taken a lighting class or have been reading up on the subject. You may be using this specific type of portrait lighting in previous images and might not even realize it until reviewing later. (Ask me how I know).

There are many passionate and talented photographers who wonder whether they should quit their full-time job to pursue photography professionally. Sapna Reddy is a photographer who proves you don't need to -- she has dual careers as both a full-time physician as well as a professional landscape photographer.

A portfolio featuring a photo of a tribal warrior wielding a rifle has won the second International Portrait Photographer of the Year 2022 competition. It along with 101 other top entries will be included in an annual finalists book.

Portrait photographers use a myriad of different lights and lighting styles to achieve the results they desire. I’ve seen great portraits done with 10 lights, and even greater portraits done with a single light. The best photographers can do both and play around with lights like tools in their toolbox to create something unique.

We've all heard of the classic rule of thirds, leading lines, and other composition techniques. But going with the most common rules can get a bit boring at times.

Deana Lawson has won the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2022 for her series of portraits that "reframes and reclaims the black experience." The foundation awarded her £30,000 (about $37,400) for her work.

When is the best time of day to shoot portrait photos outdoors? Should we shoot only during the golden hours and avoid midday altogether, or is it better to use the brightest daylight hours to take our portraits with a few simple light modifiers? In this guide, we explore the best times of day for outdoor portraits.

There is nothing more devastating for a portrait photographer than when a client doesn’t like your photos. You train for years, buy the best equipment possible, and come to your session with 100% dedication to providing the best possible experience... and then you get that feedback.

What kind of lighting do you use as a portrait photographer? Softboxes are great and popular, but that also makes them potentially overused and boring. If you want to spice up your portrait lighting, you can look into expanding your toolbox beyond the softbox and into other kinds of lighting.

Every day, the PetaPixel Instagram account is sharing excellent photography from our readers and those who inspire us. Here’s a look at some of our recent favorite posts and the photographers behind the lens.

One of the hardest things I experienced as a beginner was not knowing how to create a simple lighting setup. I’d always imagined elaborate lighting setups of three to six lights or more, and it’s why I began to shy away from working in a studio.

The International Portrait Photographer of the Year 2021 has announced its winners across multiple categories with top honors going to Australian photographer Forough Yavari for her incredible image titled "Solitude."

Back when I started out as a photographer in the mid-1990s, I had to figure everything out by myself. I made a lot of mistakes, but in doing so I learned a great deal. To help others, I have put together this list of 100 tips that every beginner photographer should hear.

The Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Trade Show (WPPI) is one of the more popular photography shows and educational seminars in the United States. Normally held around late February or early March, the show has announced it is shifting its show dates to August as a COVID-19 precaution.

When you're out on an environmental photoshoot, it can sometimes be hard to pick the best locations to maximize your session. Mango Street has published this 8-minute video that covers a host of tips they say will make your images better.

British electronics retailer Currys has published a comprehensive breakdown of insights it collected on the state of photography in 2020 using various statistical methods and sought input from three experts to forecast the troubled photography industry going forward.

Portrait photographer Miquel Quiles says he has seen new photographers make a lot of mistakes as they get started with their new hobby, one of which is where they choose to spend their money. In this 10-minute video, Quiles highlights five items he says new photographers should never buy.

Photographer Alper Yesiltas has shared a detailed breakdown of how he came up with and executed a photo idea that embodied the idea of both "to read" and "to write." While "to read" came to him quickly, "to write" took considerably more time and effort.

In this 11-minute video, portrait photographer Miguel Quiles discusses five lies new portrait photographers believe that could hurt them professionally and curtail their growth as an artist.

Portrait and fashion photographer Lindsay Adler has started a new reality competition series called The Concept Challenge. In each episode, two talented artists are given a concept that they must complete before time runs out.

Tati Bruening is a photographer who has found wild success in the unusual niche of photographing TikTok's biggest celebrities. Bruening, known as Illumitati, has garnered 157,000 followers on Instagram and 900,000 on TikTok, and she has even signed with a talent management firm this month.

You might be familiar with the exposure triangle, but in this 7-minute video, Mark Wallace from Adorama TV describes the exposure diamond and how to effectively balance a strobe with ambient light.

Capturing cool reflection portraits might seem like a breeze—you just put someone behind some glass and go ham, right? But as photographer Matt Granger explains in this tutorial, even a basic understanding of the "key variables" involved can open up more options for you.

Renowned commercial and fine art photographer Tim Tadder recently captured a new collection of striking, technicolor portraits in which he shows bald, black-paint-coated subjects in the process of being covered in multiple primary colors of thick paint. The juxtaposition is stunning.

Portrait photographer Oded Wagenstein recently sat down with Canon to share the most important lesson he's learned over the course of his career. Namely: how to build meaningful relationships with strangers and capture more authentic portraits as a result.

Of the many creative photographic genres, it is perhaps portrait photography where two camps—the representative and the artistic—can be most clearly observed. Whilst the former requires context through captions and backstory to elevate it, in the later, the absence of such requires creative aptitude. Attempting to merge both camps in one photograph can often diminish its effectiveness.

Photographer Sara Melotti's career started with a meteoric rise in the world of fashion photography. But 3 years into a job that took her to some of the most glamorous places on Earth, she realized that she was contributing to an industry that she simply didn't believe in any more. That's how her project Quest for Beauty was born.